Order of Saint Isaac
The Holy Order of Saint Isaac is the order of paladins that hails from the Duchy of Westridge and its Diocese of Westridge. It maintains a rigid structure based on chivalry, humility, and devotion to the orthodox church. It rejects the evils of Azeroth with zeal. As much scholars as they are warriors, Saint Isaac prides itself on spiritual strength and willpower, going so far as to call themselves some of the most faithful adherents to the original Silver Hand in their uncompromising doctrine and wealth of philosophies. History At the close of the Orcish Wars that liberated Westridge from the clutches of the Horde, Duke Maxen established the Holy Order of Saint Isaac in honor of Isaac Degaullier, a valiant paladin who perished in the last battle of the war. Westridge's newfound order of knight-paladins would be known for their martial prowess, charity and chivalry. The Story of Isaac Degaullier Written and compiled by Sir Bertrand De Vries Isaac was 24 years of age when word of the orcs reached Westridge. Then innocent and pure in mind and spirit, Isaac volunteered against the monastery's wishes to act as a chaplain amongst the militia raised by then-Duke Albert Montclair to march out to meet the orcs in the field. It was in the fires of war that Isaac experienced the truth of what savagery mortals could inflict upon one another. Determined to stop the orcs and defend his family at any cost, Isaac committed himself fully to the war effort and devoted his time to tending to the wounded and preaching the virtues three. As it is known, Stormwind was grossly outnumbered by the forces of the Orcish Horde. Town after town were burnt to the ground, and the forces of Westridge which Isaac served under were beaten back to the very lands from whence they came. After Duke Leopold fell in battle, his son Maxen took up his sword and rallied the remaining forces of Westridge in a last defense of the realm. With no martial prowess of his own, Isaac continued to do what he could to aid the battered and broken men and women of Westridge. Through a desperate prayer, Isaac was able to harness the power of the Holy Light and mend wounds far greater than any priest of the Light had managed before. Shocked by his abilities, the knights of Westridge brought Isaac before Duke Maxen, who was then planning the evacuation of the land. Enamored by the tale of Isaac's abilities, the lord offered Isaac a horse to ride amongst the surviving nobles and priests to Stormwind City ahead of Westridge's evacuation. Isaac staunchly refused, claiming that his place was amongst the common people. Maxen reluctantly allowed him to stay, sending off the priests and nobles without him. The commoners struggled to make their way through the wilderness to reach Stormwind, the main roads too dangerous and held by the orcs. Guarded by what few footsoldiers and knights remained, including Duke Maxen himself, the caravans were attacked by the orcs time and time again. Isaac, infuriated at the orcs' savagery, lashed out at the attackers – wielding the Light as holy flame. Inspired by Isaac's holy fire, the soldiers stood their ground against the orcs, defending the caravan through to the cover of Stormwind City. To his despair, Isaac received word that mother had been killed and his father's whereabouts were unknown when the people of Stormwind set sail. The voyage to Lordaeron served as a time of meditation for him, the battle-hardened priest. Upon arriving in Lordaeron, Isaac was sent with a number of knights and priests to Stratholme by Duke Maxen for a selective gathering. Upon their arrival, Isaac and the other Westridgean knights were greeted by none other than Archbishop Alonsus Faol, who revealed his plans to raise them as Knights of the Silver Hand. Isaac readily accepted the challenge. The training he and the other aspirants endured was grueling – as a priest of no martial background, Isaac was bested time and again by knights well versed in swordplay and combat. Unable to tap into the dire fear and circumstances needed to receive and demonstrate the Light's boon while in training, the young Isaac was passed over as a candidate for knighthood within the order. Disheartened, Isaac withdrew from the training to head to the front lines. On the battlefield, few could match Isaac's prowess in wielding the Light's power both as a weapon and healing. A true battle-cleric, Isaac was only surpassed by the greatest of paladins in the field, his discipline and resolve unbroken against the Orcish Horde. He fought alongside Duke Maxen and the Westridge Cavaliers, and word of his accomplishments and deeds soon spread through the Alliance ranks. It was not long before Isaac received summons from Archbishop Faol to Stratholme, where he was finally made a paladin-knight of the Silver Hand. So Sir Isaac carved his path through the battlefields of Lordaeron, Khaz Modan and Azeroth, shielding his bretheren and smiting the wicked. Several victories were attributed to his prowess on the field and mastery of the Light. Ever the pious one, the paladin gave several speeches on the virtues of mercy, justice and humility, speaking of his low background and the blessings the Light bestowed upon all mortals. It was during the liberation of Stormwind that defined and immortalized Sir Isaac as a hero and champion of the Holy Light. The orcs, having since conquered Azeroth for years, had established their own communities among the ruins of the human kingdom Stormwind. When the Alliance armies made their push into the land in late 6 L.C., they encountered orcish families of among the battlefields. Many of the Alliance forces took to immediate slaughter, butchering orcish babes in their beds and putting toddling orcish children to the sword. At the time, Sir Isaac served under a Lordaeronian field marshal by the name of Joric Albrecht, a man whose lineage outstripped most in the means of martial ancestors. Field Marshal Albrecht, seeking vengeance for his son's death at the hands of the Horde, ordered his men to seek out one hundred orcish children and to bring him their heads. Sir Isaac, staunch in his beliefs, took a stand against the Lordaeronian commander, questioning his very character and faith. Seeking satisfaction, Albrecht challenged Sir Isaac to a duel to the death – certain that he would win with his swordsmanship. The duel on the field was viewed by hundreds of soldiers. The battle endured for hours, Field Marshal Albrecht landing a number of strikes with his blade and Sir Isaac smiting the Commander with righteous fire. By nightfall, both men had neared collapse. Just as Albrecht was about to finish Sir Isaac with his sword raised high, Sir Isaac lunged and impaled the commander through a gap beneath his helmet. Seeing the Light's will done through Sir Isaac's, Albrecht's successor rescinded the order and gave new commands for the soldiers to save any orcish children they could. Sir Isaac was regarded as a righteous hero among the soldiers who watched the battle, and his virtue swayed many to see mercy done. The weeks that followed saw the Alliance push ever towards Stormwind City and the recapture of the throne. Sir Isaac, promoted to the rank of Commander, led a vindictive crusade that saw the liberation of Eastvale and its holdings from orcish control. As the Alliance closed in on them, the Orcish Horde grew desperate in their measures. A number resorted to sacrificing their own brethren to summon demons of terrible power. The orcs that held Westridge Keep were no exception. Groth'mar, son of Jor, a fearsome orcish warlock had put a dozen orcs to the sword in order to summon a void lord. As the forces of the Alliance under Duke Maxen approached, the warlock directed the void lord to rain down fire and brimstone. Sir Isaac, charging ahead of the Westridgean forces, raised his sword to the heavens and brought up a mighty holy shield that dashed the meteors on its immaculate surface. Infuriated, the void lord charged out in turn to meet the paladin head-on. Unable to retreat from the impending monster, Sir Isaac rushed on to his fate, his sword ablaze with righteous fire, spurring his horse to leap into the center of the void lord's mass. The demon erupted in a gout of brilliant light, its very core pierced by Sir Isaac's holy blade. Engulfed by flame and dissipating shadow, Sir Isaac vanished into nothingness. Groth'mar, seeing the awesome power wielded by one man, immediately surrendered himself and his remaining followers to the forces of Westridge. Overcome by grief for their lost champion, the knights, priests and Duke Maxen himself wept long into the night. After Stormwind was liberated and celebrations were had, Sir Isaac was canonized a Saint of the Church of the Holy Light. He stands among legend as one of Stormwind's first paladins. On November 30, 2801 A.D., the Council of Bishops further venerated Isaac Degaullier by adding a special collect prayer to the Codex of Rites. All liturgical events in the Diocese of Stormwind read the collect on October 23rd, the memorial day of his canonization. Rise of the Order Written and compiled by Sir Heagan Lécuyer Named in honor of the recently fallen Sir Isaac Degaullier, The Order of Saint Isaac was founded in the wake of the Second War. With desire to pull away from the tactics which many within the clergy of Stormwind considered barbaric, the Diocese of Westridge called for volunteers to assemble a military wing. While many men of the serf and the gentry supplicated themselves to the wishes of the bishop, it was determined that only those who would prove their faith would be accepted. The order would not fall victim to the same blood lust as their counterparts. The so-called aspirants were instructed by the clergymen and trained in the ways of faith. Although the vast majority of the hopefuls were unable to meet the strict requirements of their instructors, those that did become noted for their ability to intertwine religion and warfare. A new generation of compassionate warriors was born. As each man made demonstration of his unwavering faith in the Light and in kindness, specialized vows of the order were taken to affirm loyalty to their new brothers and kinsmen. As ranks swelled, a new obstacle was presented. The Westridge Priory was unable to effectively command both their paladins and dispense the efforts of their monks. To ensure no one warrior would place an iron grip upon the order, the Bishop raised three men to the Council of Saint Isaac. This new council stood equal in stature and were charged with the responsibility of maintaining the order and its members. While the council still answered supremely to the Bishop of Westridge, the order was trusted to act independently under their guidance. Known for both strict membership requirements and severe losses in battle alongside the Elwynn Brigade, the number of brothers within the order has shrunk drastically. Given this void in leadership, many of the order's responsibilities have fallen upon the few veteran knights that remain. Structure The Holy Order of Saint Isaac is divided by experience. The counselors and knight-paladins are considered to be of a wider role of Knight-Paladin, while the crusaders and aspirants '''are considered to be of a wider role of Aspirant. The '''master is one appointed by the Lord, Lady and Curate of Westridge to lead the order in battle, training and organization. They are charged with overseeing knight-paladins in their quests and the promotion of aspirants to crusaders and crusader to paladins. Counselors have nearly identical duties to the knight-paladins, with the additional mandate of observing the progression of aspirants and mediating disputes between knights. Whenever a vacancy is deemed ready to be filled, a counselor is selected from the wider pool of knight-paladins. Knight-paladins are those of the order who have completed all of the Trials of the Crusader and sworn themselves to the upkeep and code of the order. They are tasked with assisting aspirants and crusaders of the order in completing their trials, as well as to act both as elite troops and champions of the order. When time permits, they are expected to quest in the Light's, and the King's name. Each one is considered to be an army in their own right. At the request of the bishop, a knight's task may be to guard the safety of any member of the diocese and, should the need arise, beyond. All masters, counselors, and knight-paladins are to be referred to as "Knight of Saint Isaac" in proper conversation. In formal address, their specific title may be used. Crusaders are entrusted with a more practical, hands-on and advanced training. At the rank of Private, they are permitted to undergo the full course of the curriculum, and may initiate the trials should they be deemed worthy. On top of any duties they may currently hold as soldiers, they will also be expected to undertake more dangerous pursuits on behalf of the Order should it be necessary. Aspirants are the most introductory of initiates. Unlike the crusaders, these initiates are permitted to be from all walks of life provided they are in good standing with the crown, yet in practice those not born of Westridge find enlistment in the Royal Army to be their only means of acceptance. Aspirants may only undergo the first aspect of the curriculum. Both Crusaders and Aspirants are to be referred to as "Aspirant of Saint Isaac" in proper conversation. Order Leader Sir Valrik the Exalted is the current Master of the Order of Saint Isaac. Since before the First War, Valrik served as a Cleric from his humble town of Darrowshire. A balanced life of hard work and scholastic prayer lead to his formative years being peaceful, yet constructive to character. However, when the Second War struck Valrik found himself selected as a squire to one of the first knights in the order of the Silver Hand. Assigned to the Stromic knight Sir Harlon the Indomitable, a veteran warrior with little patience for nonsense, Valrik found the last of his weakness (at times literally) beaten from him, and thus Valrik found himself tempered by both his master and warfare. By the time the Third War came, he was a promising paladin as any – so much so that his masters had deemed 'the Exalted' an apt title, but certainly not prepared for the horrors that awaited. Having lost his home town, and the entirety of his family to his perception, the traumatized paladin along with his equally distraught squire found themselves easy targets for the Scarlet Crusade's recruitment. It was only the realization of the Crusade's vicious atrocities that Valrik broke from this daze, and fled to Stormwind. In hopes to rebuild himself once more through service, Valrik has served faithfully in service to Stormwind for many years, by all legal rights a knight of Wrynn, having considered any hope of restoring his home a lost cause. With his most posting with the esteemed First Regiment, what remains of Valrik is a body devoted wholly to his cause of righteous warfare. He is quick to forgive those he has vowed to protect, but is ruthless in his criticisms of any who would call themselves paladins, including himself. Knights of the Order Knighthood is permanent within the Order. Once one has been knighted, they will be a knight until their death. A knight's duties first and foremost demand service in warfare. It is the Order's stance that paladins were created for the purpose of war against those who would threaten humanity, and thus it is that purpose that all paladins must fulfill. Per political mandate, this service is expected to take place within the First Regiment of Westridge, though no small amount of knights remain obstinate. When they are not waging war, however, they still are not permitted rest – knights will be expected to spend as much time as possible in training in practice, so that they are always as strong as they can be. Knights will also be expected to take upon quests for the wider kingdom and Diocese of Stormwind. In pursuit of Saint Isaac's example, the Order holds, at times, a more liberal view that paladins must fight for justice and morality as a whole – a view in line with the majority of paladins today. As a result, when their military service is not required, Knights of Saint Isaac are expected to go out, often alone, to wage war against the forces of darkness. There is much glory to be had for this thing. Permanency within the Order requires particular logistics. The Knights are divided into three classes: active, errant, and exiled knights. Active knights are those honorable knights who remain faithfully in service of the Royal Army. Only active knights may be selected to be Master or Councilor, or to take upon aspirants of the order. Errant knights are knights whose honor is no less indisputable, but for any reason have opted to depart from the formal military service and traditional life of a knight. These knights may return at any time and reclaim their place among the active knights. Those knighted who do not live up to the standards of the Order of Saint Isaac are considered exiled knights. The implication is typically that such knights have committed some error that would warrant ejection from a less permanent order. Depending on how a knight goes into exile or what happens on during the exile one may or may not be permitted to return, though this return, if permitted at all, would typically warrant some trial or test, or the review of one or more aspects of the curriculum. Below is a list of all current, errant and exiled knighted members of the Order of Saint Isaac: Active Knights Errant Knights Exiled Knights Philosophy Though the views among the paladins are as varied as any paladin, to codify the Order's beliefs as a whole in an abridged philosophy is not impossible. Knights of Saint Isaac value the spiritual to a greater extent than the material. A great degree of their focus is on the soul and the mind rather than merely the body, which at times may put them at odds with their more materialistic counterparts. They scorn compromise, particularly when it dons the mask of pragmatism, and a deep understanding of morality and philosophy is a requirement of any knight. That is not to say that they are meek. This doctrine of inward focus creates knights who are unflinching in the moral principles of chivalry and righteousness. Knights of Saint Isaac believe failure in their sacred duty is among the greatest crime a paladin can commit, and thus in the eternal pursuit to purge weakness and doubt from their hearts devote inordinate amounts of time to prayer and meditation. Those extremists of the order, such as Sir Valrik, allow this focus to border on self-destruction for the selfless cause of defending humanity's body and soul. As puritans to the canon faith, doctrine more often than not has these knights scorn deviations from the "original" Silver Hand, and thus both Argent and Scarlet Crusade are considered weak and unfit in their eyes – though the former is considerably more palatable to the latter. There are however, always exceptions among knights, who frequently engage in debate and civil argument with one another on the morality and ethics expected of them. Roles The combat roles that members of the Order of Saint Isaac may take on and their associated requirements will be listed below. Knight-Paladin Knight-paladins of Saint Isaac don truesilver armor and weaponry blessed by the priests of the Diocese of Westridge. Some carry holy talismans to ward off demons and shadow magic, while all carry tomes that contain scripture, hymns, and blessings of the Holy Light. Matching the vigor and zeal of the most valiant knights of the realm, paladins are infused with the Light upon induction to the order. This holy ritual bolsters their strength and grants them protection from dark magics. Equipment: * Truesilver Armor * Paladin Warhammer * Shield of Saint Isaac Requirements: * Complete the Trials of the Knight-Paladin How to Join Those seeking to begin the path of knighthood may either approach a paladin-knight directly, or write a letter of intent to the Master of the Order regardless of rank, so long as they are in active service to the Royal Army. In either circumstance, a mentor will be found for the aspirant as soon as possible for the training to begin. A mentor may either volunteer, or may be conscripted from the pool of knights by a counselor. Knight-Paladins, should they accept one under their charge, may begin their training as soon as they wish, however are encouraged to exercise good judgement and not fear rejecting a would-be aspirant. Upon their aspirancy, they will begin the Curriculum of the Knight-Paladin. Additional Readings * Order of the Silver Hand * The Church of the Holy Light * The Three Virtues * The Diocese of Westridge * Westridge Temple Law * Trials of the Paladin Knight * Knighting Ceremony of Saint Isaac * The Church and the Soldier * Diocese Archives Category:Organizations Category:Order of Saint Isaac Category:Divisions Category:Lore